Air fryer turkey breast
Golden, garlicky turkey breast tenderloins that stay juicy inside, an easy first turkey that’s done in about 30 minutes.
- 35 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.86 a serving
- 200 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb turkey breast tenderloins, 2 tenderloins
- 1 lemon, cut in wedges (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
Each serving has about 200 calories, 34 g protein, 1 g carbs and 6 g fat, and costs about $1.86 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, thyme and rosemary in a small bowl.
Rub the turkey all over with the oil, then with the spice mix.
the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Timer: 3 min
Cook the turkey in the basket 20 to 24 minutes, flipping halfway, until and the thickest part reads 165°F.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 22 min
Dolly’s tip: Check at 20 minutes. Thin tenderloins cook faster than thick ones.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Let it on a board for 5 minutes, then it and serve with lemon wedges.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Slices keep 4 days in the fridge, which makes this a great base for lunches.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
